Job summary
Islington Additional Needs and Disability Service (IANDS) provides a multi-agency team approach to working with babies, children and young people who present with additional needs and complex disability. We are looking for an experienced, dynamic and highly motivated Speech and Language Therapist to join this service, who is able to work sensitively with children and young people and is committed to family centred practice.
The successful applicant will work Richard Cloudesley school, which is an outstanding school for pupils with physical disabilities and additional sensory needs.
The postholder will support the school at a universal and targeted level: through workforce training and development, class and curriculum support and joint target setting. The post holder will also be responsible for an allocated caseload of children with complex disabilities, providing high quality Speech & Language Therapy intervention and effective case management.
The post holder will be part of a multidisciplinary health team based at Richard Cloudesley which consists of Speech and Language therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, School nurse and Health care assistants. We will offer you excellent training opportunities with a strong emphasis on individual performance appraisal and supervision. External training is also fully supported and encouraged. We are a friendly service who support flexible working hours and promote equal opportunities and access for all.
Main duties of the job
This post holder will be based within the Special Schools Team, working primarily at Richard Cloudesley School.
The post holder will work in the multidisciplinary and multi-agency environment including working with, specialist teachers, social workers, SLTs, therapy assistants, psychologists, dieticians, paediatricians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other professionals.
The post holder is an autonomous practitioner and is responsible for delivering a comprehensive and highly specialist service to CYP who have special and complex needs that may include cerebral palsy, complex learning difficulties, degenerative conditions and sensory impairments. . Many children use AAC including low and high tech communication aids and Makaton signing. As well as supporting with Alternative Communication Systems, s/he will also be involved with assessment, treatment and management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. The post holder will devise and provide individualised care plans that are evaluated via outcome measures. S/he will liaise with educational colleagues in order to undertake joint planning of IEP targets, production of annual reports and staff training.
The post holder will provide clinical supervision and support to less experienced colleagues both within the team and the wider service; this will include the provision of second opinions.
The post holder will be involved in developing and delivering training for school staff and parents.
About us
Whittington Health have an excellent reputation for being innovative, responsive and flexible to the changing clinical needs of the local population. We are treating more patients than ever before and are dedicated to improving services to deliver the best for our patients.Our missionHelping local people live longer, healthier lives.Our vision
Provide safe, personal, co-ordinated care for the community we serve.
Our goalsWe have developed six key strategic goals to make sure we continue to support people to live longer, healthier lives.
- To secure the best possible health and wellbeing for all our community
- To integrate and coordinate care in person-centred teams
- To deliver consistent, high quality, safe services
- To support our patients and users in being active partners in their care
- To be recognised as a leader in the fields of medical and multi-professional education, and population-based clinical research
- To innovate and continuously improve the quality of our services to deliver the best outcomes for our local population
Whittington Values
Our values underpin everything we do. Our staff are committed to delivering the following values in everything they do.
Our ICARE values have been created by our staff and are embedded in our appraisal and planning processes and form part of our staff excellence awards.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To demonstrate highly specialist clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of language and communication problems and the use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems in children and young people with complex medical needs or learning disabilities, providing appropriate specialist intervention and evaluating outcomes.
- To support with issues relating to Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems for the paediatric special and complex needs service area.
- To demonstrate highly specialist clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties
- To demonstrate highly specialist expertise in managing children and young people with complex special needs who present with one or more of the following: learning difficulties, autism, dysphagia, sensory impairments, physical disabilities (requiring an advanced knowledge of Alternative Communication Systems) and those presenting with social emotional needs.
- To manage and prioritise a complex and specialist caseload independently, advising line manager and Clinical Lead SLT on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc
- To provide advice to others regarding the management and care of children and young people with communication and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.
- To contribute to multi-agency assessment procedures as required, including statutory educational assessment.
- Plan and implement individual and group interventions, in collaboration with the child, parent/carer and school to achieve therapeutic goals, measure progress to ensure effectiveness of intervention.
- To provide universal, targeted and specialist levels of support to Richard Cloudesley school and students
- To work closely with the wider Speech & Language therapy team based across special schools to develop universal support and training offers for families and carers.
- To provide advice to junior staff and students on a range of issues pertinent to clinical issues specific to the caseload.
- To work closely with clients, carers and families, and school team, in order to agree plan of management.
- To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and /or carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
- To be aware of legal requirements relating to the provision of a speech and language therapy service.
- To maintain up to date and accurate case notes and write reports reflecting highly specialist knowledge, ensuring that they meet departmental standards and are in line with local Trust Policy, and RCSLT professional standards.
- To demonstrate knowledge of current policies and practice in education and incorporate these into the model of working as appropriate.
- To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues and situations, recognising and resolving potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs.
- To monitor and evaluate highly specialist service delivery and provide progress reports as required.
- To demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the issues associated with clinical governance and their application to professional practice. This will include compliance with / adherence to, and implementation of service and service area and Trust policies, National and Local guidelines and RCSLT Professional and Clinical and Guidelines.
- To contribute to the local Trusts systems of clinical governance, developing innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness in collaboration with others.
- To be accountable for professional action and recognising professional boundaries, and working within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.
- To work independently accessing appraisal within an Individual Performance Framework at pre-determined intervals.
- To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible and contributing to complaints responses where required
- To liaise and share information with health, educational, Social Services and other professionals as appropriate, observing data protection guidelines and ensuring referrals are made to other services as appropriate.
- To contribute to school meetings, annual reviews, case conferences and multi-agency team meetings, as appropriate, e.g. education, social services and the voluntary sector
- To collaborate in the development of local clinical guidelines, care protocols/packages to improve patient care, informed by current specialist clinical evidence.
- To assume delegated tasks as requested by line manager, including participation in working groups, policy development groups related to clinical specialism.
- To participate in training to undergraduate and post-graduate students, speech and language therapists, parents and carers, and other professionals including colleagues in health and education.
- To develop and deliver specialist training (formal and informal) to others in area of clinical expertise, developing the ability to target training appropriately to the needs of course participants and to reflect on and evaluate training provided.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To demonstrate highly specialist clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of language and communication problems and the use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems in children and young people with complex medical needs or learning disabilities, providing appropriate specialist intervention and evaluating outcomes.
- To support with issues relating to Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems for the paediatric special and complex needs service area.
- To demonstrate highly specialist clinical expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties
- To demonstrate highly specialist expertise in managing children and young people with complex special needs who present with one or more of the following: learning difficulties, autism, dysphagia, sensory impairments, physical disabilities (requiring an advanced knowledge of Alternative Communication Systems) and those presenting with social emotional needs.
- To manage and prioritise a complex and specialist caseload independently, advising line manager and Clinical Lead SLT on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures etc
- To provide advice to others regarding the management and care of children and young people with communication and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.
- To contribute to multi-agency assessment procedures as required, including statutory educational assessment.
- Plan and implement individual and group interventions, in collaboration with the child, parent/carer and school to achieve therapeutic goals, measure progress to ensure effectiveness of intervention.
- To provide universal, targeted and specialist levels of support to Richard Cloudesley school and students
- To work closely with the wider Speech & Language therapy team based across special schools to develop universal support and training offers for families and carers.
- To provide advice to junior staff and students on a range of issues pertinent to clinical issues specific to the caseload.
- To work closely with clients, carers and families, and school team, in order to agree plan of management.
- To demonstrate skills in motivating clients and /or carers to engage in the therapeutic process.
- To be aware of legal requirements relating to the provision of a speech and language therapy service.
- To maintain up to date and accurate case notes and write reports reflecting highly specialist knowledge, ensuring that they meet departmental standards and are in line with local Trust Policy, and RCSLT professional standards.
- To demonstrate knowledge of current policies and practice in education and incorporate these into the model of working as appropriate.
- To demonstrate good negotiation skills across a range of issues and situations, recognising and resolving potential breakdown and conflict when it occurs.
- To monitor and evaluate highly specialist service delivery and provide progress reports as required.
- To demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the issues associated with clinical governance and their application to professional practice. This will include compliance with / adherence to, and implementation of service and service area and Trust policies, National and Local guidelines and RCSLT Professional and Clinical and Guidelines.
- To contribute to the local Trusts systems of clinical governance, developing innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness in collaboration with others.
- To be accountable for professional action and recognising professional boundaries, and working within defined departmental and national protocols/policies and professional code of conduct.
- To work independently accessing appraisal within an Individual Performance Framework at pre-determined intervals.
- To deal with initial complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible and contributing to complaints responses where required
- To liaise and share information with health, educational, Social Services and other professionals as appropriate, observing data protection guidelines and ensuring referrals are made to other services as appropriate.
- To contribute to school meetings, annual reviews, case conferences and multi-agency team meetings, as appropriate, e.g. education, social services and the voluntary sector
- To collaborate in the development of local clinical guidelines, care protocols/packages to improve patient care, informed by current specialist clinical evidence.
- To assume delegated tasks as requested by line manager, including participation in working groups, policy development groups related to clinical specialism.
- To participate in training to undergraduate and post-graduate students, speech and language therapists, parents and carers, and other professionals including colleagues in health and education.
- To develop and deliver specialist training (formal and informal) to others in area of clinical expertise, developing the ability to target training appropriately to the needs of course participants and to reflect on and evaluate training provided.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Of a highly specialist range of assessment tools and procedures to evaluate communication, speech & language skills relevant to paediatric special and complex needs
- Of specialist knowledge supporting children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties
- Knowledge of high and low tech communication systems
Experience
Essential
- Of working at a specialist level in paediatric complex needs, including the management of children with complex needs
Desirable
- Carrying out evidence based / research projects
Skills
Essential
- Skills in delivering presentations and training, including basic adaptations to presentation / training style for a range of audiences
Desirable
- Critically evaluate published research within a specific area of clinical expertise
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Of a highly specialist range of assessment tools and procedures to evaluate communication, speech & language skills relevant to paediatric special and complex needs
- Of specialist knowledge supporting children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties
- Knowledge of high and low tech communication systems
Experience
Essential
- Of working at a specialist level in paediatric complex needs, including the management of children with complex needs
Desirable
- Carrying out evidence based / research projects
Skills
Essential
- Skills in delivering presentations and training, including basic adaptations to presentation / training style for a range of audiences
Desirable
- Critically evaluate published research within a specific area of clinical expertise
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
